Muskets & Tomahawks - Hawk Eye and the Ladies

Hawk Eye and the Ladies painted by Tom.
As you will know the French Indian Wars and Muskets & Tomahawks have featured previously on JJ's Wargames and the occasional work both Tom and I have done for our friend Steve who is building a very nice collection of 28mm figures.

Steve asked me to paint these at Xmas just after I had finished the redcoats, but with the Talavera plans laid down, and a lot to get done, these characters were likely to have been on the back burner for a while.

http://jjwargames.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/romans-redcoats-rangers-indians.html

Tom loves this period and the rules and immediately volunteered to paint these up as a break from Early Imperial Romans and his third year university studies which, with exams happening at the moment, have severely curtailed his painting - which explains why the Romans have had no additions since January.

With a bit of free time, Tom decided to get these character figures finished over the weekend and I think he has made a cracking job of them.

The colours he has chosen are quite stunning and I know he was working on getting a lighter tone on the the two ladies. Female flesh tones are quite tricky but I think these ladies look the part as well as slightly nervous about their chances of making it across the table.

I am pleased to say that Tom has his last exam today and the next unit of Roman Auxiliaries are on the stick so onwards and upwards.

The Figures are part of the Conquest Miniatures range supplied by Warlords here in the UK.
http://store.warlordgames.com/collections/french-indian-war-1754-1763/products/last-of-the-mohicans

Anyway. I hope you like these chaps Steve.

Next up the 3rd "Prince of Wales" Dragoon Guards

Romans, Redcoats, Rangers & Indians

The Christmas break has been an excellent time to get a few painting jobs done before getting stuck into the Peninsular War project for 2015.

I would usually show you the finished based items and in the case of my Roman Command, that will follow, pictured under proper lighting. 

First up was this Roman command set from Aventine Miniatures using decal sets from Little Big Men Studios. These guys don't really fit the Trajan look form my command for that period, but will come in handy when we start doing some Roman civil war action. 

The lighting doesn't do these figures justice, but hopefully you can get an impression of the detail, and I will re-post the finished group when based.

The other little job I needed to get done was some French Indian Wars figures that have been by my table for about 12 months, that I promised to paint for a friend who now has a nice growing collection for Muskets & Tomahawks.

These follow on from some other figures I painted back in October 2013

http://jjwargames.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/muskets-tomahawks.html

I really like this period and have enjoyed painting these guys. I hope you like them Steve.

And the nice thing is that while I was photographing the completion of these two jobs, along the table another was being worked on. Tom is well into bringing together a Veteran Roman Legionary Cohort.

So onwards and upwards, I can now clear the sticks and get the 31st and 45th Foot ready for priming.

Muskets & Tomahawks - First Game

Muskets & Tomahawks Game - Devon Wargames Group

Yesterday I was at the monthly gathering of the Devon Wargames Group, DWG, where due to new members and various people checking out the club, we are now putting on three games to cater for the numbers.

On offer from members of the club was 28mm Muskets & Tomahawks, 15mm Chain of Command and 28mm French Foreign Legion vs Arabs, not a bad menu of games I think.

I took part in the M&T game as I have two copies of the rules (don't ask why!), love the period, have painted up figures for friends but have until yesterday never played.

I have to say these rules are great and I really had a blast playing them. Although the mechanisms of card play and various modes of combat are simple they are by no means simplistic and the chrome of character missions and variable circumstances that can crop up really make them a joy to play. I was thinking as I was playing them how easy these would be to use for a mini campaign.

What I really liked about the system is a truism I have learnt from playing the Lardies family of games, namely the marker of a really good system is the ability to play it in as shorter time as possible without reference to a quick reference sheet; in no time at all that's just what we were doing and the game just whizzed along.

I am really looking forward to playing these again, although I am very conscious that I have enough projects on the go to avoid being sidetracked into another.....sigh! What I would say is if you love anything to do with Muskets and Tomahawks and you haven't played these rules, seriously check them out.

If you would like to see a report and more pictures of the game yesterday, just follow the link to the Devon Wargames Group - Muskets & Tomahawks AAR .

May Bank Holiday - Jobs

This Bank Holiday weekend has enabled me to finish off a few jobs before next weekends games. I have a busy weekend lined up with our monthly club meet up on Saturday and the Oporto game for the Sunday.

So I have added a bits of detail to Oporto town with a few waggons, boxes and barrels to the warehouse end of town, together with some more walls to the outskirts and roads leading out. Several accounts make reference to the walled enclosures keeping the British cavalry at bay as the French made good their escape.

I am just awaiting the model for the Bishop's Seminary and we will be good to go.

In addition I did make mention of getting a few projects done for friends that have been on the "back burner" whilst I completed the Oporto forces. So I have four units of French Seven Years War cavalry to do and I got the first unit completed today. These figures are true 15mm and seem tiny after doing 18mm. I can't see myself doing armies in this scale any more as my eyes can't take it!!

Next up, continuing the Seven Years War theme and picking up the French Indian War figures I was doing back in October last year.

http://jjwargames.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/muskets-tomahawks.html

I'm hoping to play my first game of "Muskets and Tomahawks" next Saturday at the club and I have just put this familiar chap together, if you have seen the "Black Powder" book "The Last Argument of Kings" as another contribution to the game.

I thought I would practice the blood smeared sword technique ready for commencing the 28mm Dacian Wars collection later in the year.

Muskets & Tomahawks

In addition to preparing for Vimiero this week, I have been working on a collection of figures that I'm painting for a friend.

 

 

Steve picked up a copy of these rules a few months ago, and I got him a few figures to get things started. Unfortunately Steve paints slower than a slow thing so I offered to get them done. In addition I went out and picked up a copy of the rules at Colours a few weeks ago, so am really looking forward to having a game with them. I'm even thinking of using 15mm figures myself, perhaps Peter Pig.

The French Indian War was one of the first periods I war-gamed, alongside Napoleonics. At that time in the early 70's the BBC had run their version of "Last of the Mohican's" which was shown each Saturday afternoon, and was must see TV, leaving a lasting impression of the colour and variety of the forces involved. Needless to say, when another gamer turned up with a beautiful collection of 25mm Minifigs French Indian War figures, I was hooked.

"Last of the Mohican's" BBC 1971

 

Anyway these are the chaps I've done for Steve. I like to paint 28mm every now and then. They offer a new challenge after working on 18mm and I do like these French Indian wars figures, which are part of the Muskets and Tomahawks range from North Star Military Figures.